Matthew Crawley
Matthew Crawley (b. 1890) is the only child and son of the late Reginald and Isobel Crawley. He is a middle class lawyer from Manchester until he gets a letter from Lord Grantham in 1912 informing him that he is the heir to his estate and will, eventually, be the Seventh Earl of Grantham. He and his feisty mother Isobel travel to Downton village where he finds a job at a law firm. The oldest daughter Lady Mary, ) was informally engaged to her father's heir, Patrick Crawley, her second cousin, but he and his father drowned on the Titanic. Mary cannot inherit the title or estate as she is female. Upon meeting Matthew Crawley for the first time in mid-1912,, she initially despises him, She refers to him as boring, middle-class, and as a "sea monster." Mary slowly slowly falls in love with him though, as he is kind, attractive, and intelligent. Matthew and Mary become engaged two years later, in 1914, but the engagement is not formally announced as Mary does not give him an answer. Matthew later breaks their engagement, the same day that Britain declares war on Germany. Heart-broken Mary, is comforted not by her father, but by Carson the butler (who Mary considers her "second father," and whom she goes to for fatherly advice). Mary does not see Matthew at all for the next two years, as he has been sent to France. When he returns to Downton in 1916, on a brief leave from fighting on the Somme, Mary discovers that he recently got very quickly engaged to a Miss Lavinia Swire, the daughter of a solicitor. When Mary appears at the train station to give him a good luck charm before heading back to the front, she kisses him on the cheek as he boards his train. Matthew realizes that he made a mistake, and still loves her, although it will be three more years until he admits this to Mary. Matthew loves Lavinia, but he is "in love" with Lavinia. When Lavinia expectantly dies of Spanish flu, Matthew tells Mary that they can never be together again as they are "cursed." Matthew and Mary rebuild their friendship, and become engaged again, just after New Year's 1920. After a few more ups-and-downs, they finally get married. In the 1920s, Matthew becomes the co-owner and master of Downton Abbey. Family Matthew is the third-cousin, once-removed of Robert Crawley, Sixth Earl of Grantham. His late father, Reginald Crawley, was a medical doctor who had done research on infections on children. Reginald Crawley trained, along with his future brother-in-law, Matthew's maternal uncle Isobel mentions that her "husband and brother" both trained under her father, so Matthew has a maternal uncle., under Matthew's maternal grandfather, who was also a medical doctor. His mother trained as a nurse during the Anglo-Boer War and may have received tutoring from her father as well. Biography Background Little is known about Matthew Crawley's previous life. Born in 1890, he grew up in Manchester as the son of upper middle class doctor. He lived with his mother - his father having died sometime before 1912 - while working as a solicitor specializing in industrial law. He met Lord Grantham once in London before being invited to move to Downton. Heir of the Downton Abbey Estate When he learns that he is to be the heir of Lord Grantham, he tries to refuse it but there is no legal means to do so. He is reluctant to admit that his life has changed and so must he. However, he helps Robert run the estate while working in a partnership in Ripon called Harvell and Carter, and grows to accept his fate. The Great War When the First World War starts, he enlists in the army, being ranked as Lieutenant Crawley. In 1916/1917 he is made an ADC of a British General and is promoted to the Rank of Captain and goes on a recruitment drive in Northern England. It is during the war he meets his future fiance Lavinia. In a patrol and outflanked by the German Infantry he is reported to be missing in action. Later on he turns up at Downton Abbey on leave. In 1918, he fights at the Battle of Ameins, where he and William are caught by a falling shell during a charge. If it was not for William protecting Matthew from the blast, Matthew probably would have been killed. Matthew is thought to have been paralyzed from the waist down and unable to have children. After he learns this he breaks his engagement with Lavinia, breaking her heart. Relationship with Lady Mary Crawley ]] At their less-than-cordial first meeting, Mary snidely remarks that the idea of him being the new heir is a joke. Even though Mary refuses to acknowledge him, and often says rude remarks about his middle-class life, he falls in love with her immediately. Eventually they get more acquainted and slowly become friends. After saving Lady Sybil from a riot in Episode Six, Mary is worried that Sybil and Matthew will become a couple. Matthew's mother immediately senses that Mary is in love with Matthew. Late at night, Mary and Matthew have their first opportunity to be together, alone, over sandwiches. Mary remarks that he "better not break Syblil's heart and that she thinks Sybil has a crush on him." Matthew replies that ,"no one could accuse her (Mary) of that (having a crush on him)." Mary replies, "Oh, I don't know," shocking Matthew by her admitting, out-of-the-blue for him, that she has a crush, and more on him. They finally share a passionate kiss, and off-camera, Matthew proposes. Mary tells her stunned mother that she is in love with Matthew, and probably has been longer than she has admitted to herself. She takes time to think it over, only because she is worried that she will have to tell him that she lost her viriginity to the Turkish diplomat, Kamal Pamuk, who died of a heart attack in her bed, right after having sex with Mary. Later her aunt (Mary's father's sister, Lady Painswick), reminds Mary that Matthew is only a middle-class solicitor, he's not rich or powerful at all, and she'll just be bored with him. Ultimately, Lady Mary decides to wait before giving Matthew her decision, which is further complicated by her mother's unexpected pregnancy. If the baby is a boy, then Matthew will no longer be the heir and Mary would simply be the wife of a middle-class lawyer. The delay causes Matthew to doubt her feelings and he withdraws his proposal. At the start of Series 2, he is engaged to a Miss Lavinia Swire. However, he breaks off this engagement after he is told that he can never have sexual relations or walk due to his injury. Mary, though she is also newly engaged to Sir Richard, becomes his primary caregiver, until Lavinia is secretly invited back to Downton by Cora and Sir Richard. When Lavinia trips over a footstool, Matthew steadies her without realising that he is standing up. He slowly begins to recover and they announce they are again to be married at Downton in April 1919. On the night of their announcement Violet tells Matthew that Mary is still in love with him, but he knows that his loyalties lie with Lavinia, even though his love for Mary has been re-ignited, especially when she cared for him in the hospital and in his wheel chair. In the Series 2 finale, both Cora and Lavinia contract Spanish flu and must remain bed-ridden at Downton. While Lavinia recuperates, Matthew talks to Mary and suddenly apologises for breaking up with her, before they share a passionate kiss while dancing privately. However, Lavinia leaves her sick bed and comes downstairs, and sees them kissing. Lavinia later confronts Matthew while in sick bed, about not only want she saw, but what she heard him say. Her condition suddenly worsens only a short time later, and on her deathbed, she alludes to the fact that Matthew won't have to make the decision between her and Mary, as she knows she is near death. She only wishes Matthew happiness and for him to remember her fondly. Matthew is convinced that he killed Lavinia because she heard and saw what he did with Mary. He tells Mary at the graveyard that their life together is "cursed" and that it is the "end for both of them." Sir Richard helps a distraught Mary walk back to her home. In the Christmas special, everyone heralds the start of the 1920s. Cora reveals to Robert that Mary is only marrying Sir Richard as he has threatened to expose details of her one night stand with Pamuk. Robert later talks to Mary and gives her permission to call off the engagement. Mary tells Matthew what had happened between her and Kemal Pamuk, which leaves him absolutely stunned. However, he tells Mary that he never would, and never could, despise her. Matthew's mother Isobel urges Matthew to "fight" for Mary. Matthew later interrupts an argument between Mary and Sir Richard after Mary calls off the engagement. When Sir Richard makes another threat, Matthew literally does fight for her, by punching Richard in the face. Matthew does this after Sir Richard informs Mary and Matthew that Lavinia supposedly told him years ago that she knew Matthew was still in love with Mary, and that Lavinia was worried. Lavinia supposedly told Richard that she was just waiting for Mary and Matthew to admit it so they (Lavinia and Richard) could find true love with others. Matthew and Richard fight, breaking a very valuable vase, and before being stopped by Robert, with his typical classic line "stop this at once!". Sir Richard leaves Downton the following day, and Mary apologizes for using him. Later that night Matthew asks Mary if she will reconsider going to America if he asks her to stay at Downton. He then assures her that her history with Mr Kemal Pamuk and his disastrous ending with Lavinia will never come between them in their present and future life together. Astonished and delighted, Mary accepts his formal proposal of marriage, but makes Matthew get down on his knee, something he did not do six years previously. In the third season, Matthew is set to wed Mary, but disagreements lead to arguments for them. Mary wishes to remain living at Downton. Matthew however wishes to live further away, in a much simpler manner, knowing the future is changing and uncertain. In terms of rescuing Downton, he sees his principles and morals as having priority, which further upsets Mary to the point that Matthew does not believe she will show up at their wedding ceremony/ Matthew forms a friendship with the former chauffer of the Crawley family and brother-in-law Tom Branson, who is married to Lady Mary's sister. He asks Tom to be his best man, and he also tries to help him fit in into the Crawley family. Matthew receives word that Lavinia's father has named him his heir, but he still feels guilty about Lavinia's death so he refuses to claim his inheritance, however, Matthew accepts Mr Swire's fortune, he used the money to save the Crawleys so they can stay at Downton Abbey, after Robert lost some of the family money. Robert was thankful to Matthew, and made him and Matthew joined co-owners and masters of Downton Abbey estate, but Matthew has concerns that Robert has been mismanaging the estate for a while. He also still yearns for a simpler life than that of an aristocrat. Quotes Series 2 *(Talking to Mary about Sir Richard Carlisle) "I hardly know him, but I'm sure I'll like him when I do. That's if he's good to you. If he's not, then he has me to answer to." *(Talking to William) "You have been taking those logic pills again. We're in the army, Mason, we're going on a patrol because we're going on patrol." *"I shall never be happy with anyone else as long as you walk the earth,"- to Mary in Series 3 trailer. *"I keep thinking about William, and how he should be here. Not exactly instead of me, but bravery should be rewarded."- to Mary as she wheels him around the estate. *"Go or stay, you must sack Carlisle,"- to Mary about Richard Carlisle. Behind the scenes *Matthew Crawley, is played by actor Dan Stevens in Downton Abbey television series. References Category:Characters Category:Military personnel Category:The Middle Category:Crawley family members